Establishing daily quiet time with God is necessary for anyone who wants a close, intimate relationship with Him. Many of the great men and women of faith throughout Scripture and history have testified to morning being the optimal time. Yet a wandering mind can challenge many Christians during their quiet time with the Lord. Have you ever started praying, only to find a few seconds later you’re thinking about what you’ll have for dinner that night? Or begun reading the Bible, only to have your thoughts jump to that Facebook post you liked? The world trains our minds to jump…
Yesterday, while heading out the door to go to the movies, my husband announced “I don’t have my phone—but we have yours, right? We need at least one phone with us.” Funny how for years we lived with no cell phones—now we can’t seem to survive without them! I thought. For most of us, leaving the house without our phones, we feel lost, even vulnerable, unsafe. The ability to communicate and get information anywhere anytime has tremendous value, but can also serve as great distraction. Reaching for the phone—for some while still in bed—is often the first action of the day….
I woke to the steady rhythm of waves pounding on the shore, the unremitting rise and fall of the tide easing me out of the night’s slumber. Outside my window, the beach where folks leisurely walked the night before now covered in water. High tide. Though powerful and dangerous, there’s something calming about the sight and sound of the ocean—the constancy of the waves’ ebb and flow relaxing, reassuring. Here we see God’s majesty on full display, and gazing out at the endless sea, we become small. Through summer’s warm sunny days, people gather here to enjoy the water, the…
Did you know statistics reveal that 75-90% of all doctor visits are for stress-related illnesses? The pressures of life are constantly bearing down on us. We all face needs that can result in anxieties about our health, finances, safety, relationships, the future. While people try many things to bring peace to their lives, Jesus’ words in John 14:27 remain: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” The peace of Christ is something we must invest in daily through…
Last week, during our Midwest travels, my husband and I took a day to enjoy a bike ride along a quiet rail trail in western Michigan. Scenic and flat, it was my kind of trail, and despite the cold weather made for a pleasant outing. We arrived in a small town called New Era, population 800. After lunch at the village diner where we were obviously “out-of-towners”, we wandered next door to check out a health food/coffee shop. While waiting for the owner to make hubby’s afternoon espresso, we noticed a sign on her wall: C.O.F.F.E.E. Christ Offers Forgiveness For…
